Harvey Man Charged with Theft from a Program Receiving Federal Funds

NEW ORLEANS—RICHARD HALL, age 46, a resident of Harvey, Louisiana, was charged in a 12-count indictment filed today for theft from a program receiving federal funds, announced U.S. Attorney Jim Letten.

According to the indictment, on several specified dates between 2005 and 2008, HALL, d/b/a Hall Enterprises, L.L.C., a New Orleans Affordable Homeownership (NOAH) contractor, engaged in a series of thefts of funds provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to the City of New Orleans in the form of annual Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) exceeding $10,000, designed to support home remediation work to residences following Hurricane Katrina.

Further according to the indictment, on at least one occasion, HALL accepted payment twice for several residences he had remediated and in three other instances was paid twice for residence remediation work where no work had been performed by him or Hall Enterprises, L.L.C. at those locations.

If convicted, HALL faces a maximum term of imprisonment of one hundred 120 years, a $3 million fine, three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 special assessment.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-Office of Inspector General, the U.S.Department of Homeland Security-Office of Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, Assistant United States Attorney Fred P. Harper, Jr.

U.S. Attorney Letten reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.